Ello, I've been trying to sort out the rainwater drainage at the back of our house. 62 20 1. fill with 5-10mm gravel. in the soakaway. We are on clay soil but there is no combined or rainwater drainage in the road. The following images show failed soakaway tests the 1st in a heavy clay soil and the 2nd in low lying ground next to a river with the water table lying more or less at surface. Full Drainage Design Suite. septic tank soakaway clay soil - septic tank soakaway clay soilyour septic tank and soakaway in clay soil?Are you. They put plastic based fences all the way round and laid turf. Bore a hole 150mm in diameter with an auger, to a depth of one metre. First of all, dig a hole of around 6-8 inches diameter on the ground where the water collects. This is drained to a soakaway or drainage field via the outlet pipe and the rest of the contents of the tanks stays put as ‘sludge’ until regular emptying, known as. A Soakaway must be at least 5 metres from any habitable building, by local authority regulations. I've done some research since posting the above, and its clear that particularly with heavy clay soil, I need to dig a trial pit to make sure the ground is porous enough and the water table low enough to make a soakaway practical. Fill the hole up to about 100mm (4in) of the top with. The slope of the apron (1%) should fall to a drainage channel leading to a soakaway pit, an irrigated garden or a cattle drinking trough (see corresponding briefs). wcavanagh. If you hit a layer of clay before reaching the required depth, simply make the soak away longer to make up for the lack of depth. All postwar housing is supposed to have the rainwater directed to soakaways to reduce load on the sewerage system. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. But of course it doesn’t have clay in it. The water the soakaway collects will drain into the soil below the layer of hard clay. 75 high. Perlite is an excellent amendment for clay soil when you want to increase the drainage and aeration of the soil. The Soakaway Design Guide (July 2000) 2. Percolation test procedure for surface water soakaways. Soils with high clay content may have poor drainage capabilities compared to sandy or loamy soils. We have had a new soakaway installed with two. An online system. 50m from water abstraction points, boreholes, springs. 2. Jan 20, 2015. Cover that layer with ordinary soil (150mm if the installation is in a garden, 300m if it’s on a drive). Soakaway not installed correctly. A soakaway is part of the Sustainable Drainage Design. I use it as the inorganic component for most of my bonsai except really large ones. The test procedure is outlined here. Depth in ground. Other than that it depends on how much water the soakaway will be. Because your soil is clay a traditional rubble filled hole will not be an adequate soakaway. Spread the soil conditioner across the surface and use a garden fork to mix it in. Typically developments situated on soils with a high clay content tend not to be. Thread starter Temmy; Start date 20 Aug 2021; Temmy. A soakaway system is an online system whereby all storm water flows into the crate structure and infiltrates into the surrounding ground as and when saturation allows, until the crate structure is completely empty. For a single soak pit, dig a hole that is at least 700 mm deep and 1 m wide. The repairs can then be authorised with your insurance company prior to works being completed. Will a soakaway work in clay. To avoid water collecting in the soak away leaking into and damaging the foundations, The soakaway should be situated at least 5m away from any building. And that’s just one example of how different soil types can affect land. Be sure not to overdo it with peat moss as it is important to add sand or perlite when using peat moss for it. 4. The effects of applying fly ash for soil stabilization are the reduction in the plasticity and soil swell potential and increasing the soil strength and CBR values. To work out what size soakaway is required for your property, use the method below to. Fit a plastic underground drainage pipe from the drainage channel or rainwater pipe into your soakaway, and attach a gully trap at the top end of the pipe. Some soils, such as heavy clay soils, will not work with this kind of drainage. A deep bore soakaway is a special type of rainwater soakaway consisting of a conventional chamber and a narrow bore perforated liner extending to the infiltration medium. The size of fly ash particles is commonly larger than the clay particles, thus the addition of fly ash changes the grain size distribution of the clay and reduces the liquid limit. All soakaway systems need to be at least 5 metres away from your property; if the areas surrounding your property don't span more than 5 metres you can't install one, and you must consider alternatives. The percolation test method. In addition to water dispersal, a soak pit mustSee more of Soakaway Worms on Facebook. We have a house which has a slope running down towards the front. 10,580 posts. Step 2 – Prepare the crates. Some septic system options for expanding clay soils include. . As an aid, mark a stick 300mm from one end, place in the hole and fill up to the mark. The required volume of the soakaway and the volume of the storm surge attenuator are calculated in similar ways. There's a slightly smaller soakaway out the back which we have joined into for the rear, all rear rainfall also goes via a 1250l water butt. 15 Nov 2017. The diagram below is not to scale. Sometimes, your septic tank overflowing can cause the wrong stuff to go into your soakaway system, which in turn causes a blockage. Allow winter frosts to work on clay and break it down. Too much pressure put on the garden with all rain surface water going in it from all the rain and surface water. A very general rule of thumb is; 1 cubic metre (1 m3) for a 50m2 driveway and 2 cubic metres (2m3. andrew hall, sumdog; kurt angle rap battle lyrics; miami herald press release submissionAdditionally, you should carry out a soil percolation test to determine whether the soil on your property is appropriate for a soakaway drainage system. Reason 3: Soil Type and/or groundwater table. moved the location of the discharge to more than 10 metres away from. If you need to do a percolation test then: 1. V = the time in seconds for the water in the test hole to drop by 1mm. If the water clears within half an hour, you have adequate amounts of gypsum. What are your options if you have a septic tank in clay soil? Unless you have another area within your property's boundary which does not have clay soil, then a soakaway system or drainage field is unlikely to work. Stage 5 – Cover the crates. Percolation test procedure for surface water soakaways. Dig the organic matter into the top 10 inches of the clay soil, working backwards trying not to compact the dug soil. In doing so, it will add to its ease of cultivation. 1: Aerate Clay Soil for Better Plant Growth. I think with the soakaway as specified you will end up having to land drain the field anyway and there will always be a soft spot over and around the soakaway hole. Well if you have a shallow clay cap on an otherwise free dining soil that might well work. Soakaway crates · June 30, 2020 · · June 30, 2020 ·newcastle phill. e. We considered zero tillage (no-till) as compared to conventional tillage, cover cropping or green manure practices that keep soils covered compared to leaving them bare (cover crops),. The wastewater would pass straight through the shallow or limited topsoil, hit the clay, and either travel sideways or back up to ground level. In a clay soil it’s going to take a long time for any soakaway or finger drains to empty so you need to size them accordingly. This is the saturation line or upper level of groundwater within the soil or bedrock, which can rise during rainy seasons and fall during dry spells. The soakaway’s soil quality is a crucial factor in the failure/success of any STS and the level of effluent treatment it provides. A soakaway is best installed away from the house, but it may only last a few years. The rule of thumb is 1 cubic metre of soakaway for 30 sqm of roof. Does anyone have any experience of creating a miracle soakaway. To avoid water collecting in the soak away leaking into and damaging the foundations, The soakaway should be situated at least 5m away from any building. A soakaway is a simple way of dispersing surface water when a connection to a surface water system, such as a gutter down pipe, is unpractical or isn’t possible. If using proprietary compost mixtures, follow the instructions on the package carefully. Work the compost into the soil down to the top six inches to one foot by hand with a garden fork or a spade, or you can use a tiller. The resulting calculation will give you. * You live on a slope but don't want to let it run into the neighbours. How do you fix poor drainage in clay soil? Adding plenty of organic matter Soakaways will eventually silt up. Appears that a normal soakaway is out of the question, unless its going to be huge, then it would just be an underground water storage facility. roughly 2m x 1m, x 1. The ideal garden drainage solution depends. This is best done using shingle or sand, which needs at least 6 inches to be placed around the sides as well as on the top of your crates, before (for gardens) at least another six inches of any soil which was removed to make space for the crates is added back on top and. We reconnected it and paid for a soakaway to be installed as it seemed to just end in the ground. Soakaway Pit Design. When installed correctly, French drains can redirect water to a designated location, such as a soakaway. Soakaways are no appropriate for polluted rainwater. 06 (i. g. Replies 20 Views 40K. An online system. If you're going for traditional concrete or another hard surface for your driveway, it will need to be built on a slight gradient. 8m deep. Because of the poor porosity, soakaways frequently fail within the first 5 years of operation because the air gaps in the soakaways become clogged with the high amounts of suspended particles in the effluent, which. orCalcium-based binders, such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and lime (CaO), are the most common artificial cementitious materials used worldwide for concrete and soil improvement. Add water into bucket around sealed clay bag; no need to submerge top of bag. DO choose a soakaway which has the correct loading in relation to where it will be installed; either gardens (normally 20 tonnes) or driveways (usually 40 tonnes). The down pipe (cast iron) appears to be blocked and the water is filling back up the down pipe and gushing out at the lowest joint which is about 4ft from the floor and subsequently soaking the walls of. Vegetation – Dense vegetation on a rural surface can intercept and store a significant amount of rainfall, thereby reducing the catchment runoff. The size of the soak away will need to be worked out in advance. Factors such as soil type, site conditions, and local regulations should be considered when determining whether a soakaway is necessary. The type of sediments likely to enter the soakaway depends on the. Pumice is a soil amendment made from igneous rock. Soakaway sediment was collected from an AIF, Nerima ward, Tokyo. LeadFarmer said: Soakaways in clay soil just become ponds. #1. dustmaker said: building regulations state that a new soak a way has to be at least 5. Case History As part of a preliminary investigation for a barn redevelopment Geoinvestigate were asked to assess whether the site would be suitable for a SuDS. then soil. orThe garden work was basically removing everything (mature but massively over grown garden which hadn't been maintained for at least 15 years). 2 options. To increase the drainage in extremely waterlogged gardens, dig a trench wide enough for a drainage pipe running from the area that needs draining towards the soakaway. This is useful where a soakaway pit or infiltration trench cannot be used because of impermeable soils (e. Dig a large hole in the ground, line the sides with heavy-duty landscaping fabric, to keep the earth from over time clogging up the gravel. To compensate for the lower structural support capacity of clay soils, permeable pavements often need greater subbase depth—which also adds storage volume to compensate for the lower infiltration rate of the clay subgrade. Figure 5 shows contours of the interface between the Upper Chalk and the overlying Clay with Flints at a site in east Kent. Installing a soakaway is fairly straightforward and requires little. Rainwater harvesting systems will usually have an overflow to a soakaway or drain. Plant a variety of leafy vegetation to collect rainfall. These are used to hook up the crates to prevent movement while the side-filling materials are added. If you are hoping to create a soakaway to alleviate waterlogging in a garden, you may well be disappointed by what follows. Use berms – mounds of soil – to hold back the water or divert it elsewhere. Save time and money with the soakaway experts. The ideal garden drainage solution depends on. They depend on soil with sufficient infiltration and absorptive capacity. T. The location of the soakaway is determined based on soil conditions, distance from water sources, and the size of the property. Although they are more expensive and require more maintenance than conventional systems, mound systems are a common alternative. If the water table is too high, then a soakaway simply won’t work there. Your soakaway should be at least one cubic metre, and be below the bottom of the feeder pipe. The deeper the soakaway is the better its infiltration performance and storage capacity. Regrading the garden slightly to have the water run down to one side. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. About. The expanding and contracting montmorillonite clay exerts a lot of strain on your concrete septic system, which causes it to crack and crumble. Quote 2 involves lifting sections of a driveway and path, installing the soakaway to a deeper level to bypass the clay soil and finishing off by re-laying the sections of the driveway. Country. French drains help to. If using dried seaweed meal, apply 100–200 grams per square meter. This is useful where a soakaway pit or infiltration trench cannot be used because of impermeable soils (e. You need to find out from the BCO if he is requiring you to connect to the surface water drain before going any further. e. Ello, I've been trying to sort out the rainwater drainage at the back of our house. . tomfe. W. 24” diameter x 28. . Once the back, side and top is covered with 150mm of pea shingle, then you can add the top soil – usually a minimum of 400mm. and copyrighted in 1996, to compensate for clay and impervious soils and high water table ground that cannot utilise a. It is lightweight and easy to work with, and it has a high water-holding capacity. The second option is to raise the soil level using free-draining topsoil. In clay soil, the effectiveness of a soakaway can vary. We share our downpipe with our neighbours so we are taking a lot of the rainfall. 1. How do you fix poor drainage in clay soil? Adding plenty of organic matterSoakaways will eventually silt up. g. This means that if you build a soakaway or put crates into the ground it will just sit there or drain away very slowly. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. Sort By: Default Product Name Price Low-High Price High-Low Best Selling Latest Per Page: 24 48 96 ALLThe Good and the Bad of Clay Soil Of all the different soil types (sand, clay, silt), clay soil is made up of the smallest and densest particles. #15. 2m deep it's still surrounded by clay and after yesterday's heavy rainfall this is what it now looks like:soakaway to be considered. 3 Improve drainage in heavy soil. Plan patios, paths and decks. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. How deep should a soakaway be in clay soil? 1. If it takes one to two hours for the. To work, it must extend below the. G1758, Rain Garden Design for Homeowners, describes how to estimate whether your soil meets this limit. * The soakaway fills up so isn't big enough. Step 2. Principles. 30 Jul 2005. For this reason homogenous clays are generally unsuited to soakaways as they can have very low infiltration rates. Let Geoinvestigate’s experts quote for your next SuDS soakaway, soakage, percolation, permeability or soil infiltration test. You should place an impervious layer on top of the. This video shows a soakaway drilled in clay in a garden in High Lane we had also dug Land drains in a flooded garden 5. Digging a trench is one of the most effective ways to prevent waterlogging. Infiltrator Water Technologies is a market leader within the onsite wastewater treatment industry, Infiltrator manufactures a variety of revolutionary products and innovative, environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional stone and pipe leachfield and concrete septic wastewater system components. g. As an aid, mark a stick 300mm from one end, place in the hole and fill up to the mark. However, soakaways any deeper than around 3. 25 for septic tanks. Country. The pre-fabricated soakaway system offers an alternative to gravel when installing a French drain garden drainage system. The pipes or chambers are laid in trenches or gravel beds and covered with soil, ensuring proper drainage and permeability. co. ianmcd said: yes it should be a min of 500mm away and yes you can buy the soak away container but there is no regulation that I am aware of that says you have to use such a container, the lime chips just neautralise the acid in the condensate discharge. 20 for sewage treatment systems. If the sediments entering the soakaway are the same size or larger than the pores in the infiltration medium then the sediments do not significantly affect the infiltration rate through the soakaway. NB: Due to size constraints, developments in urban areas are sometimes not large enough to use a soakaway. If there’s a lot of water and it doesn’t drain too quickly, then it should be bigger. This pit is then filled with coarse gravel, rubble or even plastic crates that allow the water to collect and filter through. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. The SOAK1GR should only be used in porous soil. As discussed above, septic tanks use a filtration system to seperate the solid waste from the liquid wastewater. Chapter 3 1994 8. Has anyone used the. One is to run your rainwater into a water. pinenot. test can be used as an alternative to the aggregate impact value (aiv) test can be used as an alternative to the los angeles test but a correlation with the los angeles test should first be. Septic Tank Maintenance. 5: Other Soil Amendments: Use With Caution. Im not sure what to do now. Study criteria. Other than that it depends on how much water the soakaway will be processing and the perculation rate of the surrounding soil – i. septic tank soakaway in clay soilseptic tank and soakaway kit makes light work of clay soil. The test procedure is outlined here. In order for anything to soakaway in the ground, the ground needs to be able to drain. Then refill the hole with clean aggregate (40mm or larger), allowing for at least 300mm of top soil. See full list on gardendoctor. While alternative drainage options exist, none are as efficient or cost-effective as a well-designed and. * Dig a much bigger soakaway. Done properly, there will be no visible signs that any work was carried out. Common soil types are detailed in the table below. Digging in a 1m3 soakaway using a soakaway crate near the centre back of the garden (at least 5m away from the house and 2. In these circumstances a specialist software package is usually used, such as. Soakaways can typically be constructed at any depth between 1. For deeper excavations please seek specialist advice. If you are hoping to create a soakaway to alleviate waterlogging in a garden, you may well be disappointed by what follows. Save time and money with one of the UKs leading soakaway and site investigation experts. Why not take a look at our Horatio’s Garden drainage case study for more information. Country. Make sure roofs are in good repair. It also decreases compaction, providing better drainage that can reduce the risks of water logging. . This is useful if the soils are clayey and do not drain very well. These husks also improve moisture retention but help in draining it quickly. The insides of the excavation can become smeared, particularly by mechanical diggers building a soakaway in clay soils. Thick, coarse sand will improve drainage in clay soils and aid aeration by breaking down the clay soil’s bond with water. View Product. For example my grandfather’s garden and 5 acre orchard was next to a a clay quarry. Dig the test hole vertically to the proper depth. 60 Minute Storm Duration Clay Sub-Soil Area To Be Drained (m 2) Size of Soakaway Below Invert (m3) 10 0. Getting it emptied pronto might just prevent any permanent damage. 74 70 4. #1. Soakaways in impermeable soils are unlikely to function because they just fill up with water, so an alternative method of disposal is required. 5 metres from a boundary etc. Area (A) = V x P x 0. To do so, we’d recommend using sand or shingle material. A lot of sites say that adding sand to clay soils means the clay aggregates around the sand and sets like concrete. soakaway. 3m deep and 1m x 1m. The septic-tank youeffluent must be absorbed and. When it comes to drainage, clay soil can be incredibly problematic. Break up the earth at the base of the pit with a garden fork. Step 5 – Cover the crates. Here is a statement from Trent Water: Mound systems work well as alternatives to septic tanks when the soil around your home or building is too dense or too shallow or when the water table is too high. To work, it must extend below the clay and be at least 1. Their construction involves digging a large hole in the ground and stacking soakaway or attenuation crates within it. These types of soakaway are useful where a very good infiltration medium underlies a deep layer of poor infiltration material, such as gravels underlying a deep. In each trench, place perforated plastic pipes, cover with a 23 cm gravel layer, and then replace soil and plants. Required storage volume in the soakaway, SSoil organic carbon dynamics: Impact of land use changes and management practices: A review. So yes soakaways can work perfectly well in clay. This is most common if the membrane is broken, the crates are the wrong size or capacity, or the pipes have. You may be able to discharge the water into a sewer if no other alternative exists and you have permission from the water company. When designing a leach field for clay soils, it’s important to take several factors into consideration, including the soil’s texture, structure, and drainage capabilities. Rebekah PooleOk well. This enables aerobic contact between the effluent and the drainage stone and soil particles. W. If compacting is inevitable, the next best thing is to amend the soil with compost, gypsum, wood chunks, and mulch. Soakaway Size. Dig a series of parallel trenches every 3-6m across the garden, sloping towards the ditch or soakaway. Plastic chambers in the shape of half pipes take the place of the. During my internet forays I've come across the option of using rainwater crates instead of simply digging a hole, lining it and filling it with stones to form a soakaway. This was done over winter and it looked like a complete quagmire. #5. A cone of influence of 450 from the discharge points in a soakaway surrounded by soil with similar vertical and horizontal permeability can be used to provide an initial assessment of the zone of impact of a soakaway. How deep should a soakaway be? The Perforated pipe should be laid at a minimum depth of 200mm and a maximum depth of 700mm. the back garden is on a slight slope towards the house, so they said this would remedy the problem. In our first spring season, we noticed the garden was very waterlogged and pestered the builder who eventually installed a soakaway in the garden approx 1 metre from the back of the house. Answered By: Cameron Gray Date:. 2) and the highest in algae (pH ≈ 9. The soakaway must be a minimum of; 5m away from your building 5m away from a road 2. In this guide, we will look at what a soakaway is and how it relates to a septic tank. Till or loosen your clay soil to a depth of six to 12 inches, then spread a four-inch layer of perlite across the top. Soakaways may often fail in the first 5 years of their life in such bad porosity soils. Maintaining the correct soil pH is highly important for crops. Using a pothole digger or soil auger dig a hole four feet deep. Area (A) = V X P X 0. #1. Dig. All clay soils become easier to work with if you add organic material. You should place an impervious layer on top of the. 3: Using Worms and Castings to Improve Clay Soil. Fill the hole with water and come back and check it the next morning. Fill the drains with wrapped gravel. Accessories include cover, additional panels, bottom, surface drain and filter fabric. Clay is extremely dense and there aren’t large enough gaps between the particles in the soil to allow liquid to pass through. The clay soil used in this study was composed of mainly kaolinite as determined from the chemical analysis. The tank to soakaway outlet is generally 300-700mm below ground level, so we suggest carrying out the percolation test at this level in the subsoil. For instance, a septic tank soakaway can become blocked: As a result of dip pipe or baffle issues in the septic tank. soils that are prone to swelling and shrinking) can cause structural damage to underground septic systems, which may require costly repairs. When a soakaway has blocked and flooded we can attend your property and provide a report. orOThe most common size of soakaway for residential use is 1 Cubic Metre (1m³), as this is what most Local Authorities seem to specify. It may also not be successful if you have a high water table. Three types of samples viz. Without proper garden drainage solutions, timber decking can be prone to rot, the likelihood of mold is increased, and the shape and finish of the structure can become distorted. When designing a leach field for clay soils, it’s important to take several factors into consideration, including the soil’s texture, structure, and drainage capabilities. wcavanagh; 10 Jan 2017; Building; Replies 8 Views 5K. However, if digging is just too hard on your back, using a tiller is a fine method. It takes approximately 5. filled the hole at 1820, and by 2217 it had possibly (possibly) moved 2cm, but I suspect thats more hope than anything. What are the alternatives to a soakaway? The regulations allow for two alternative approaches. drew33998; Dec 18, 2017; Soil, ferts, and chems. In a word, peat is springy. 3) Dig a number of deep 600mm holes with an auger and fill with stones/sand to let the water drain into. Oliver W. Calcium-based binders, such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and lime (CaO), are the most common artificial cementitious materials used worldwide for concrete and soil improvement. See more of Septic tank installation cost on Facebook. Soakaway crates help to remove some of the burdens that surface water and run-off put on drainage systems by providing an alternative drainage solution. A soakaway is basically a deep hole filled with rubble. A lot of people claim the easy way to drain a clay soil is to dig a soakaway. Get your septic tank or treatment plant emptied - ok, so this might be the only easy solution, but it might just do the job. Manage the Moisture Using Berms. After (just recently) reading to manufactures instructions concerning the soakaway its states it need needs to be. A soakaway is part of the Sustainable Drainage Design. Fill around the sides and top of crate soakaways with a good, compact layer of sand or gravel, before backfilling with soil. * Get connected to the surface water drains used by the neighbours. Is there an alternative to a soakaway? If a soakaway is impossible to achieve, you may be able to discharge the water into a local watercourse if you live next to one. The location of the soakaway is determined based on soil conditions, distance from water sources, and the size of the property. water in and out but stopping soil. We don't have a surface water sewer, only foul. Plastic chamber leach fields are great alternative septic systems for small lots and properties with high or variable groundwater tables. When the water overflows, it will soak through the decorative stone and into the ground. This. Then mark and dig out the side trenches to connect to the main drain, forming a herringbone pattern. 0151 515 1415; hello@spudulica. This leads to aerobic digestion and effectively treats the effluent. Gently remove the lavender plant from the pot and backfill the hole with the garden soil mixture. The most commonly used in the industry is: Soakaway Volume = Area x (Rainfall Rate/3000) For a standard 60m2 roof or driveway in the UK the calculation would be: 60m2 x (50mm/3000) = 1m3 volume This means you would require 5 of our CORE Water Crates to create a 1m3 soakaway. #1. Log In. How important the quality of soakaway soil . It is lightweight and easy to work with, and it has a high water-holding capacity. 28 Mar 2008. All septic tanks require emptying ONCE A YEAR. It does not rot. The liquid limit of the soil was 51%, and the plastic limit of the soil was 36. New Channel - FREN. Vermiculite aerates soil well if used together. Robust, durable and easy to handle. That said & having read the main site & some of the forum posts, I have some questions about soakaway alternatives for our garden. Your soak-away trench will need to slope away from the garden and be at least 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. The percolation test calculations for soakaway installation are as follows: Area (A) = V x P x 0. As long as the. Soakaway won't work - what alternatives do I have? Temmy; 15 Sep 2021; Roofing and Guttering;. Step 2 – Prepare the crates. SITE ASSESSMENT: The key factor in the potential use of a drainage field is the suitability of the ground. Where the new driveway is small, if the existing garden is not water logged it should be acceptable to allow the water to soak into the ground. This closes the pores and fissures at the excavation interface leading to. The Plant Company often uses a mini-excavator to complete this task as the bigger the hole, the. DON’T install a soakaway if you live in a polluted area prone to smog. Regrading the garden slightly to have the water run down to one side. #5. They are also referred to as dry wells, soak wells or soak pits in other countries, but in the UK are known as soakaways. The correct fabric for wrapping soakaway crates is a high-quality, non-woven geotextile, such as Draintex from the Product That Works range of professional landscaping products. V = the time in seconds for the water in the test hole to drop by 1mm. It will need to settle for a while of course before you. It allows water to filter through it, and literally soak into the ground ( away ). 9. How do I install a soakaway in my garden? Follow these 6 simple steps to install soakaway crates – both quickly and correctly: Step 1 – Create space.